Ukrainian fighter jet pilot reportedly killed in action in Donetsk Oblast.

Major Andrii Tkachenko, a fighter aircraft pilot, was killed in a combat mission in Donetsk Oblast on March 8, scouting organization Plast reported on March 10. Plast's branch in the town of Sambir, Lviv Oblast, mentioned his death in a Facebook post. Tkachenko was a member of Plast.

No other details about Tkachenko's death were provided. Ukraine's Air Force hasn't commented on Tkachenko's death. A month earlier, Vladislav Rykov, an experienced Ukrainian Air Force pilot, was also killed in action, the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade reported on social media.

Rykov "had 385 sorties under his belt -- he was the best pilot and commander I knew," fellow Air Force pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko posted on Facebook. "My heart was ripped out yesterday." In another incident from last August, three Ukrainian pilots, including Andrii Pilshchykov with the call sign "Juice," died in a mid-air collision between two training jets.

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Reporter

Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine's foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country's military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist.

His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.Read more